Zoya Sensual Collection: Fall 2019

Hello Everyone!

* Disclaimer: This post contains PR Samples provided by Zoya for review purposes. I would like to thank  Zoya for sending these products. All opinions are 100% my own. Product information is courtesy of zoya.com

September means Fall is almost here! Today I'll be sharing Zoya's Fall 2019 Sensual Collection! Let's get started!

Fall is just around the corner, and we are excited to share with you the newest line-up in color from Zoya!

Meet The Sensual Collection, featuring a range of contemporary neutrals to desirable darks. Sensual beautifully implements traditional autumn shades with a variety of finishes.

Zoya Sensual Sampler A

Here are the first 6 of  shades from the Sensual Collection. I love the color selection in this set. This set includes a beautiful mix of neutral and red polishes. I like how Zoya included red polishes for their Fall Sensual Collection. I feel is color that your can wear all throughout the year. I like all the colors in this set, and my favorite polishes are Joss, Kinsley, and Rashida.

Joss - Zoya in Joss can best be described as a soft colonial rose cream. The perfect neutral with a kiss of pink.

Kinsley – Zoya in Kinsley can best be described as a blush toned caramel cream.

Foster – Zoya in Foster can best be described as a decadent hot chocolate cream with pink undertones.

Briar – Zoya in Briar can best be described as a red-toned terracotta cream.

Margaret – Zoya in Margaret can best be described as a well-balanced vivid auburn red cream.

Rashida – Zoya in Rashida can best be described as a dazzling ruby red with a shimmer of red micro pearl.

Zoya Sensual Sampler B

This is second set of the Sensual Collection. Fall is my favorite time of year and I tend to wear darker colors, especially on my nail polishes. These colors are perfect for Fall. Etta and Elliot are gorgeous! Those colors grabbed my attention when I opened this set. I'm so glad that Zoya included purple polishes in this set because purple is one of my favorite Fall colors. These colors are very sensual indeed!

Etta – Zoya in Etta can best be described as a vampy cabernet with a hint of violet micro pearl, adding depth to your nail look. 

Ripley – Zoya in Ripley can best be described as a rich boysenberry cream.

Michaela – Zoya in Michaela can best be described as a dusty purple taupe cream.

Vesper – Zoya in Vesper can best be described as a deep, antique grey-violet cream.

Elliot – Zoya in Elliot can best be described as a blackened peacock blue cream.

Ashton – Zoya in Ashton can best be described as a black tourmaline with a scattered silver effect.

What are your favorite colors from the Zoya Sensual Collection

3 Steps to Clearer Skin Feat. Derma E Acne Skincare

Hello Everyone!

* Disclaimer: This post contains PR Samples provided by Derma E for review purposes. I would like to thank Derma E for sending these products. All opinions are 100% my own. Product information is courtesy of dermae.com

At 33 years old I thought acne wouldn't be a problem anymore. I don't have too many acne problems, but I have noticed that I have more acne as an adult than I did as teenager.

Factors such as PMS, extreme heat, and stress are typically the source of my acne issues. This Summer has been extremely hot and I've dealt with breakouts. My problems with acne includ fine bumps on my forehead and a few pimples on my cheeks.

Today I want to share information and my thoughts about Derma E's 3 Steps to Clear Skin.  Today's post is very detailed.

1. Derma E Acne Deep Pore Cleanser

Skin that is prone to breakouts and blemishes requires an anti-acne cleanser that strikes a fine balance. It needs to clear skin of the impurities that can cause acne, while at the same time nourishing the complexion without stripping it of the natural oils needed for a radiant appearance. DERMA E’s Acne Deep Pore Cleanser has become a customer favorite because it delivers proven results—including beautifully clear-looking skin. That’s why many users consider it the best face wash for acne.

Our incredibly effective anti-blemish cleanser can be used every day to rid skin of the dirt, bacteria, and excessive oil build-up that can clog pores and lead to breakouts. The key ingredient in the Acne Deep Pore Cleanser is Salicylic Acid, which is a beta hydroxy acid that helps skin cells shed more easily. The power of Salicylic Acid is enhanced with our signature Anti-Blemish Complex, which is comprised of Tea Tree Oil, Willow Bark Extract, Lavender and Chamomile. This unique blend of plant-based ingredients doesn’t just help unclog pores—it also soothes and balances skin for a remarkably clearer complexion. This is an anti-acne face wash that is designed to treat skin with luxurious care, using only the best natural ingredients to calm your complexion so it looks its best. The Acne Deep Pore Cleanser should be the foundation of any anti-acne skin care regimen.

Product Benefits

Gently cleans the skin to give it a healthy, balanced appearance.

Promotes exfoliation of dead skin cells to create a vibrant glow.

A 4-week consumer trial showed a noticeable reduction in blemishes.

Ingredients

- Salicylic Acid: This tremendous skin exfoliator helps prevent clogged pores that can cause breakouts. The Acne Deep Pore Cleansing Wash contains 2% Salicylic Acid.

- Tea Tree Oil: This therapeutic oil can help ease problems caused by a number of skin issues.

- Lavender Oil: A rich oil that nurtures skin to help the complexion look clear and healthy.

- Rosewood Oil: Balances skin to promote the appearance of healthy skin.

- White Willow Bark Extract: Like Salicylic Acid, White Willow Bark exfoliates skin to keep it clear and help prevent blemishes.

- Chamomile Flower Extract: This plant-based ingredient gently soothes skin.

The Acne Deep Pore Cleansing Wash is 100% vegan and cruelty-free, and does not contain parabens, sulfates, mineral oil, lanolin, gluten or GMOs.


2. Derma E Acne Blemish Control Treatment Serum

Banish blackheads, blemishes and breakouts with our powerful acne serum. Our Acne Blemish Control Treatment is formulated with the active ingredient Salicylic Acid, a beta hydroxy acid that is a proven acne fighter. We maximize its effectiveness by pairing it with our unique Anti-Blemish Complex that is comprised of Tea Tree Oil, Willow Bark Extract, and calming Lavender and Chamomile. This natural acne treatment helps to unclog pores, providing clearer and healthier-looking skin. It is an ideal adult acne treatment that is geared towards preventing breakouts from forming. With regular use, it can help get blemishes, even cases of cystic acne, under control so your complexion looks fresh and renewed. This treatment is part of our adult acne products collection, which has shown success in preventing breakouts—after conducting a four-week consumer trial on our Anti-Acne line, 96% of people experienced a reduction in blemishes.

Ingredients

- Salicylic Acid: This acid is tremendous at exfoliating dead skin so it can’t clog pores and cause breakouts. The Acne Blemish Control Treatment contains 0.5% Salicylic Acid.

- Anti-Blemish Complex: Our signature acne-fighting blend features Tea Tree Oil and Willow Bark Extract to help clear out pores, plus Lavender and Chamomile that help reduce redness so skin tone looks visibly improved.

- Green Tea: An antioxidant source that can also prevent skin from the stresses caused by sun exposure and environmental pollutants.

- Aloe Vera: This plant-sourced ingredient soothes skin irritation.

The Acne Blemish Control Treatment is 100% vegan and cruelty free, and does not contain parabens, sulfates, mineral oil, lanolin, gluten or GMOs.


3.Derma E Acne Rebalancing Cream

Beautifully balanced and clear skin can be a reality even if your skin is prone to breakouts and blemishes. DERMA E’s Acne Rebalancing Cream is a wonderful everyday product that keeps skin looking healthy and clean. This gentle yet effective anti-acne cream nourishes skin and normalizes the complexion by replenishing it with essential nutrients. Salicylic Acid and our unique Anti-Blemish Complex (comprised of Tea Tree Oil, Willow Bark Extract, Lavender and Chamomile) work in harmony to unclog pores, exfoliate skin and calm any redness from breakouts. Use of DERMA E’s Acne Rebalancing Cream produces visible results: After conducting a 4-week consumer trial on the Anti-Acne line, 96% of people experienced a reduction in blemishes.

Product Details

Balances skin to help prevent blemishes.Promotes gentle exfoliation to keep pores from becoming clogged.

Ingredients

- Salicylic Acid: This beta hydroxy acid powerfully but gently helps skin shed dead cells and soothes irritated skin.

- White Willow Bark: This natural skin exfoliator helps retexturize skin and can clear away dead cells that can cause breakouts.

- Jojoba Seed Oil: Richly emollient, this oil calms skin and quenches dryness.

- Aloe Vera: This plant is renowned for its capability to soothe and calm skin, especially if it is red or inflamed.

- Panthenol (Provitamin B5): This water-soluble vitamin acts like a humectant, drawing moisture to the skin while conditioning the complexion for a smooth, vibrant-looking texture.

Lavender Oil: Lavender can help purify and moisturize skin.

Chamomile: Ease irritated, inflamed skin with this calming, antioxidant herb.

The Acne Rebalancing Cream is 100% vegan and cruelty-free, and does not contain parabens, sulfates, mineral oil, lanolin, gluten or GMOs.

My Thoughts

I don't have major acne issues, but my like I mentioned my face did break out this Summer. Derma is one of my favorite products for my skincare needs, so I was happy to try these acne reducing products. Did you read that these products are vegan?! I've been using these products for about 5 days and I have noticed my acne decreasing. I've included the Acne Deep Pore Cleanser in my skincare routine numerous times. This is actually my second bottle. I have a tingling sensation on my face when I use the cleanser, but it's tolerable and the tingling doesn't last long.

Salicylic Acid is one of my go to ingredients that I look for when I use skincare products.  If you read all the ingredients in each product you may wonder how these acne products smell. Derma E used the word potent and I agree. These acne reducing products are not for the faint at heart. I typically don't like strong scents, but I will use strongly scented products that help keep my skin healthy. The scent isn't the best, but I like the results to have clearer skin. The serum and cream have been my holy grail products for the past few days. When I'm trying to clear acne, I try to stick to a one brand during an acne breakout.  I have noticed that hyperpigmentation on my cheeks are fading. So far so good!  I'm going to finish using these products to continue to treat this breakout. If you're having acne issues or trying to prevent acne issues, these products are worth giving a try.

Urban Decay Naked Honey Palette: First Impressions

Hello Everyone!

* Disclaimer: This post contains a PR Sample provided by Urban Decay Cosmetics for review purposes. I would like to thank  Urban Decay Cosmetics for sending these products. All opinions are 100% my own. Product information is courtesy of Urban Decay.

Urban Decay has released its latest and sweetest release Naked Honey Palette! I'm a major fan of the Naked Palettes and Naked Honey has been on my beauty wish list since I heard about Urban Decay releasing this palette. Today I'm going to share my first impressions for the Naked Honey Palette.

Product Details:

Raw and sticky sweet - just the way nature intended. Get hooked on Urban Decay's Naked Honey Eyeshadow Palette; its 12 golden neutrals include classic golds, warm ambers, and rich chocolate browns.

Reach for Amber (it practically glows), create the perfect hazy, smoked-out eye with Sting (warm brown matte), or get hooked on Honey (intense gold metallic) for the ultimate '70s statement eye.

Blending your best look, from daytime matte to sultry metallic, is easy since the Naked Honey Palette comes with a vegan and cruelty-free double-ended brush. You won't find another palette that's this sweet.

Shades:

Flyby (ivory satin)

Sweet (neutral beige matte)

Swarm (soft mustard matte)

Amber (metallic copper shimmer)

Keeper (mustard brown matte)

Golden (rich gold shimmer)

Honey (intense gold metallic)

Queen (golden brown shimmer)

Hive (warm brown matte)

Drip (warm reddish-brown matte)

HBIC (rosy bronze shimmer)

Sting (deep warm brown matte)


My Thoughts

I'm going to cut to the chase I'm here for this palette! The brown, amber, and golden hues in this palette are absolutely stunning! In this Palette you will find a range of matte, glitter, and shimmer eyeshadows.

I love how the Naked Honey Palette is based on golden neutral hues. Urban Decay really did a great job with the color selection in this palette. I love that I can create both day and night eye makeup looks with Naked Honey. The holidays will be here before we know it and I know that this Palette will be used to create glamorous holiday looks! This palette doesn't have any black shadows, but you still can create sultry eye looks.

I've always admired the glittery shimmery eyeshadows of the 1970's and if you look at the word Honey on the packaging it has a font that looks like it's from the 1970's.

The shades are so pigmented, especially the glitter hues. Upon swatching the buttery shadows there was minimal fallout. I haven't done a makeup look yet since I just received this Palette yesterday, but I did leave the swatches on my arm for a few hours and the shadows didn't budge. I noticed a little fading after about 6 hours, but the shadows were still very pigmented.

UD was kind enough to include one of their primer potions in this PR Sample, but for the swatches I didn't use any primer so I could show the true pigment of the colors. I can't wait to share a few new eye makeup looks on social media! That's coming soon! Overall, this is a great addition to the Naked Palette Family, and this palette is different with the color selection in terms of the hues.

Are you getting Urban Decay's Naked Honey Palette? In addition to the Naked Honey Palette, Urban Decay is releasing a Naked Honey Collection! Visit urbandecay.com

Here's a screenshot from Urban Decay's IG Page I snapped for the release dates for  the Naked Honey Palette

Well, That Explains A Lot...

Hello Everyone!

At the doctor's office

Last Thursday I had a doctor's appointment for a regular checkup. I was actually going to reschedule, but I know that I have to make time for my overall health, and besides I needed to follow up with my doctor after July's ER Visit.

Waiting to be called back to get one of my weekly B12 Shots 

I'm glad I did go to that appointment. Come to find out that I now have B12 Deficiency and my Iron Levels were critically low. I already knew that I had Iron Deficiency Anemia, but my levels haven't gone up which was a concern to my doctor. For a while I did have energy and I felt well, but I did notice that recently I had been feeling more tired than normal and by the end of the day I felt like I was going to crash. I remember over a year ago, I woke up one morning and I had a horrible pain over my left eye and my vision in that same eye was completely blurred. I went to the eye doctor and he couldn't find anything wrong and my sight eventually went back to normal. That was so scary.

The Iron Pills I'm taking. Ferrous Gluconate (I have another pack that I already opened)

My doctor looked at my lab work from my ER visit in July and she noticed my hemoglobin was low, so she ran more lab work. If the doctor in the ER would have taken the time to actually care and look over my lab work he would've have noticed this... My primary doctor also noticed that I had gained weight lol and my period had skipped two months. Incase you're wondering like my doctor I'm NOT pregnant. All these all these issues were related to iron, anemia, and b12 deficiencies in addition to stress/depression (hence the weight gain and the two missed periods). Iron Deficiency can also cause heavy periods.

Another day at the doctor's office for a B12 Shot

Long story short in addition to my mental health my body is also somewhat a mess with dealing with these deficiencies I thought that the over tiredness was due to the early mornings and not sleeping well at night that doesn't help, but there was an underlying issue. It's funny how your body has a way of telling you something is wrong, but we sometimes ignore the signs.

Today's B12 Shot when I went to the Doctor's Office 

Now I have to take B12 shots, (My doctor wants me to come in everyday this week for the B12 shots, and then once a week starting next week), Iron Pills and continue to take Vitamin D pills. No more ignoring when I'm feeling tired or craving ice (Pica). I'm going to have to learn to get more rest. I know today's post was kind of long and detailed, but I hope that sharing my story will inspire people to get checked for B12, Iron, and Vitamin D deficiencies and get regular check ups in general.

Here are few of my health related posts

Soak up the Sun

Anxiety and Announcement

Mental Health Check-In


Also, South Carolina is preparing for Hurricane Dorian, but I should still be posting this week. Everyone in Hurricane Dorian's please stay safe and evacuate if you need to.


August 2019 Posts

My Life in July 2019

6th Blogiversary Gifts and PR Haul

Mental Health Check-In

My Life in August 2019

My Life in August 2019

Hello Everyone!

The end of the month is almost here so it's time for a monthly Lifestyle post. I should be back to posting regularly in September. I miss you all and I miss blogging! I know this lifestyle post is a little early this month lol.

Last month I celebrated my 6th Blogiversary and I included my PR Haul. Thank you again everyone for all the amazing products!

Enjoying time at the park

Look at that beautiful fountain

Nature view

Summer Thunderstorm 

I updated everyone on how I'm doing see link  at the end of this post.

I decided to take another chance and try something from Starbucks: Vanilla Bean Crème Frappuccino. It's ok, but it tastes more like a watery milkshake with vanilla. More like ice milk. 

 I tried to drink that Vanilla Bean Créme Frappuccino and about midway through the drink just tasted like watery milk and hint of vanilla. I took that drink right back to Starbucks and they gave me a Fresher instead.

I love Urban Decay products, so thank you for the like on Instagram!

Rise and grind for an early morning makeup booking, but first breakfast.

McDonald's Ice Cream Cone

New Beauty Releases 

These Rose Water Skincare products from Garnier Skinactives smell so good!

Covergirl Trublend Undercover Concealer 

Urban Decay Stay Naked 24 Hour Foundation

Urban Decay did an amazing job with the range of shades.

Urban Decay Stay Naked Concealer in shade 60WR

New Luminous Foundation From Anastasia Beverly Hills

Anastasia Beverly Hills Display

 Derma E Scar Gel and Derma E Vitamin C Renewing Moisturizer 

Thank you Derma E for the skincare goodies! *Product Information courtesy of dermae.com

Derma E Scar Gel

This clinically proven formula helps to improve the appearance of scars and encourage healthy skin. It may help improve the appearance and texture of sunburns, chemical burns, industrial burns, old scars, new scars, stretchmarks as it moisturizes the skin. This refreshing, oil-free formula goes on clear and will not stain clothes.

My Thoughts

This is my second jar of scar gel. I had a insect bite a back in June that left a scar on my arm. I started using this Scar Gel and I noticed results with the scar fading within a week. After a few weeks of using this scar gel I my scar is almost gone. This scar gel is also great for soothing sunburns. 💜

Derma E Vitamin C Renewing Moisturizer

This lightweight day moisturizer helps to naturally support collagen health while protecting skin from pollutants and impurities.

My Thoughts

I've noticed some hyperpigmentation on my cheeks, but the Vitamin C Renewing Moisturizer had helped my uneven skin. Vitamin C has many benefits, and I love how radiant my skin looks when I used this moisturizer. You can also use this moisturizer under your makeup 🙂

See you all in September!

August 2019 Posts

My Life in July 2019

6th Blogiversary Gifts and PR Haul

Mental Health Check-In